Healthy packed lunch ideas as kids head back to school

The Public Health Agency (PHA) has some top tips for packing a healthy and nutritious lunchbox for the kids.

“Recent surveys looking at children’s lunchboxes found that they were too high in fat, especially saturated fat, salt and sugar,” said Judith Hanvey, Regional Food in Schools Coordinator, appointed jointly by the PHA and the Department of Education .

“Just under half of lunchboxes contained no fruit. It is important to include a balanced variety of foods in a packed lunch, so that your child can get all the nutrients they need.

"Avoid fizzy drinks and snacks high in added fat, salt and sugars, and remember that kids only need child-sized portions of food.”

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The PHA’s leaflet ‘Are you packing a healthy lunch’ has lots of advice and lunchbox ideas, and it is available online at www.pha.site/healthylunchbox

“There are lots foods available in our supermarkets that are marketed for lunchboxes such as processed fruit snacks, squeezy yogurts, yogurt on sticks and cereal /muesli bars. However these are often high in fat, salt and sugars,” said Judith.

“It can be confusing, but picking the healthier option isn’t just good for nourishment, it can also help with pupils’ concentration and behaviour in the classroom.

If you are tired of packing the same old lunch, try these ideas to add variety:

Fruit juice and smoothies should be limited to a total of 150ml a day.

“Involve your kids in making up their lunch,” said Judith. “Picking healthier foods is an important step in establishing good eating habits that will benefit them throughout their lives, helping them to stay at a healthy weight.”